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'League of Legends' might be coming to smartphones
League of Legends might eventually take up residence on fans' iOS and Android homescreens. Developer Riot is said to be working with parent company Tencent on a mobile version of the ultra-popular MOBA.
Vivo's iQOO phones are tuned for hardcore mobile gamers
Vivo is no stranger when it comes to a list of "firsts" in the smartphone market, with notable achievements including the in-display fingerprint reader, the notch-less all-screen design, the pop-up front camera, the dual-display implementation and, most recently, the port-less all-glass device. Now, the Chinese company is flexing its mobile muscles by tapping into the gaming segment, and it's doing so by way of a new sub-brand dubbed iQOO, which awkwardly stands for "I Quest On and On." Naturally, its first namesake smartphone is also quite the powerhouse.
A ‘Dota’ veteran’s take on ‘Arena of Valor’ for Switch
I've been playing multiplayer online battle arena games -- better known as MOBAs -- for the best part of two decades. First it was Dota, back when the game was still a custom Warcraft III map. Steam tells me I've sunk over 2000 hours into Valve's Dota 2, and I must've spent at least another few hundred hours dipping into both League of Legends and Heroes of the Storm. MOBAs are a genre I could never see working on consoles -- controllers just don't have enough buttons, nor do thumbsticks have the precision of a mouse. And yet I just spent a significant slice of my weekend completely glued to Arena of Valor, a port of a mobile MOBA that was released on the Nintendo Switch last week.
'Arena of Valor' is a completely different game on Switch
Arena of Valor is arguably the most popular video game in the world, clocking more than 200 million players -- before it debuted in North America in December. Compare that to other online blockbusters like League of Legends (103 million players as of 2016), Overwatch (40 million players as of May) and Fortnite (125 million players as of June), and Arena of Valor's reach is clear.
'Arena of Valor' officially launches on Nintendo Switch in September
If you weren't able to sign up for Arena of Valor's closed beta on the Nintendo Switch, don't worry -- the popular 5v5 MOBA will be officially available for the platform in September. Like its mobile counterpart, the Switch version of the Tencent-backed game is a free-to-play title. Even better, it will use a global server, so you can play with friends from around the world, even if they live in another continent and even if they download the game from another region's eShop.
It's peak esports season: Here's how to watch the games
Happy esports season! Summer is the ideal time to sit back (with a glass of lemonade in one hand and a burrito in the other in an air-conditioned room) and watch the best video game players in the world battle it out for millions in prize money. However, diving into this digital world can be daunting, since each game has its own schedule and unique set of rules. Here we offer a handy viewing guide for upcoming matches in five major esports titles: Overwatch, League of Legends, Fortnite, Arena of Valor and Call of Duty. It's nearly championship time for most of these games, so matches are primed to be extra exciting. Sit back, take a big ol' bite of that burrito, and watch some esports with us:
'Arena of Valor' beta registration for Nintendo Switch is live
Arena of Valor was one of the biggest games at E3 this year, you just didn't know it. Like Super Smash Bros Ultimate it was featured in the Nintendo Direct broadcast, and, like Smash there was also a giant tournament featuring the game in downtown LA last week. It's also the biggest mobile game in China, free to play and backed by Tencent.
The esports arena at E3 2018 puts mobile gaming center-stage
Video game fans in North America are waking up to the possibilities behind mobile esports, following in the footsteps of the Asian market, which has been quicker to embrace professional Android and iOS gaming. Mobile esports games include Honor of Kings, Clash Royale and Arena of Valor, a League of Legends-style title that was showcased at E3 2018 in the ESL Esports Arena. In the middle of a heated playoff battle between Immortals and the newcomers Dino Riders, ESL North America CEO Yvette Martinez-Rea explained the impact that mobile esports are likely to have on the broader gaming industry.
Tencent lets parents reward kids' good grades with game time
If you grew up with video games as a kid, you probably struck a deal with your parents: pass a school test with flying colors and you can play more. Tencent wants to formalize those arrangements. Chief executive Ma Huateng has proposed digital contracts that offer game time to kids (for Tencent games, of course) in return for either reaching certain academic criteria or performing chores around the home. He wasn't specific about when these agreements would be available, but he noted that children could have their friends witness the signing of a contract.
After Math: It's bobsled time!
The 2018 Winter Olympics are starting up but Pyeongchang won't be the only place crowning champions. This week we've already seen Waymo win out over Uber in court; Sasha 'Scarlett' Hostyn, the most successful woman in eSports, was victorious in an Olympic-backed Starcraft 2 tournament; and Amazon came up with yet another way to dominate the delivery market -- 2-hour Whole Foods deliveries. Numbers, because how else will you count the scorecards?
Tencent-backed 'Arena of Valor' World Cup boasts $500,000 purse
Mobile eSports are becoming a big deal. Last year, mobile MOBA Vainglory's big eSports tournament was backed by Amazon. Supercell put on a Clash Royale $1 million tournament last summer, too. Now China's Tencent Games is getting in on the action with plans for a series of eSport tournaments, beginning with the Arena of Valor World Cup in July of this year. The contest will take place in Los Angeles and offer a prize pool of more than $500,000, according to the press release.
China's most popular game is about to launch in the US
You might not have even heard of Arena of Valor (outside of a Twitch tourney), but it's all-consuming in its native China, with 200 million registered players and over 80 million daily active users. Tencent's mobile-only MOBA game, known as Honor of Kings in its original form, is so popular in its homeland that tournaments are everywhere and the game has time limits to prevent kids from playing too long. And now, Tencent wants it to become a household name in the rest of the world. In a confirmation of some earlier rumors, the tech giant is formally launching Arena of Valor worldwide on December 19th, with users in North and South America getting their first crack at the Android and iOS hit.
